Synthesis of norbornene/divinylbenzene copolymers catalyzed by anilinonaphthoquinone‐ligated nickel complexes and their applications for the synthesis of graft polymers

Abstract

AbstractThe copolymerization of norbornene (NB) and divinylbenzene (DVB) was carried out using anilinonaphthoquinone‐ligated nickel complexes of the type [Ni(C10H5O2NAr)(Ph)(PPh3)] (1a: Ar = C6H3‐2,6‐ iPr; 1b: Ar = C6H2‐2,4,6‐Me; 1c: Ar = C6H5) with modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) as a cocatalyst. The DVB content was varied (5–25 mol%) and the resulting copolymers exhibited number‐average molecular weights (Mn) of 40,000–69,000 g/mol with polydispersities (PDI = 1.5–1.8). The styryl group of the NB/DVB copolymer was used for grafting poly(methyl methacrylate) by reverse atom transfer radical polymerization using azobisisobutyronitrile in the presence of copper chloride and bipyridine.